Page One

Pinguelo throws complete game as opponents make seven errors 

The Berkeley/Albany Lions took another step towards the championship game of the Babe Ruth state tournament with a 9-2 win over Capitol Valley on Tuesday night in San Leandro. 

Jeremiah Pinguelo threw a complete game for the Lions, giving up just two hits. Pinguelo’s only rough patch came in the third innings, when he loaded the bases on two walks and a hit batman, then walked home a run. 

“When I’m focused I do well, but when I lose it I start walking guys, and I start hitting guys,” said the Albany High graduate. “I guess I lost it in the third inning.” 

Pinguelo didn’t give up a hit until Josh Hamilton knocked a double to rightfield in the fourth inning. Capitol Valley scratched across one more run in the seventh when Lions catcher Jeremy LeBeau threw a high chopper over first baseman Joe Storno’s head, allowing Justin McKay to score from second.  

But by that time the Lions had the game well in hand. They scored three runs in both the first and second innings, slapping Hamilton all over the park. Benny Goldenberg led the way with two doubles, and catcher Jeremy LeBeau had two RBI on a single and double. Chase Moore scored three runs for the Lions. 

Hamilton didn’t get any help from his defense, as they committed seven errors in just six innings of field work. 

Capitol Valley committed three miscues in the fourth inning alone, nearly allowing the Lions to grab a 10-run lead that would have ended the game after five innings. With a man on first base and one out, McKay muffed a Chase Moore groundball, then third baseman Josh Broder threw wildly to first on Benny Goldenberg’s grounder, allowing a run to score. Joe Storno hit a sacrifice fly, then Ricky Arias’s easy flyball to leftfield was muffed by Matt Lopez. 

“When it’s this late in the season, these kids have been playing full-time for the last five months,” Berkeley/Albany manager Joe Pinguelo said. “They start to stay up late, party, and they get a little tired. You even see it in the pros late in the season.” 

The younger Pinguelo said he had a pretty good idea what to expect from Tuesday’s opponent. 

“I honestly didn’t expect the game to go more than five innings,” he said. “This game was over before it started.” 

But Pinguelo managed to throw all seven innings regardless, leaving the Lions’ pitching staff in good shape to get through the loser’s bracket with two more wins. Up first is a matchup with Mountain View tonight at 8 p.m. 

“With Jeremiah throwing a complete game, it gave everybody else a rest,” Joe Pinguelo said. “Everybody should be ready to go tomorrow.” 

Pinguelo said he will likely start Randy Renn against Mountain View, although the decision wasn’t final as he headed home Tuesday night. 

“I’ll have to go home and use all my managerial skills to figure out who to start,” he said with a smile. 

NOTES: Berkeley/Albany centerfielder Moore, a St. Mary’s High graduate, said he is close to signing a letter of intent to play at Fresno State next season, although he is still considering San Francisco City College. Moore was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the Major League Baseball Amateur Draft last month, but said he intends to attend college.